Then—

Adam released his grip as if burned, hands flying to her shoulders to gently but firmly set her upright beside him on the bed. He sat up in one fluid motion, putting a careful foot of space between them. The movement was controlled, but the racing pulse at his throat betrayed him.

Elise scrambled back just as quickly, smoothing her rumpled dress with trembling fingers, unable to meet his eyes.

"Sorry," they both said at the same time, their voices overlapping in the quiet room.

Another beat of awkward silence.

Adam cleared his throat, running a hand through his violet hair. "The floorboards are uneven. Should've warned you."

Elise nodded, staring fixedly at a knot in the wood floor. "I should have been more careful. My balance isn't… what it used to be."

The excuse hung in the air, thin and unconvincing. They both knew it wasn't about balance.

To fill the stifling quiet, Adam stood and busied himself with the window latch, pushing it open to let in the cool evening air and the distant sounds of the market square. The normalcy of the noise helped ground him.

Elise took a steadying breath, her composure slowly returning like a cloak being drawn back on. "The others will be back soon," she said, her voice regaining its usual measured tone, though a softness remained. "We should… prepare for the night."

"Right." Adam kept his back to her, looking out over the rooftops. "You take this room. Get some real rest. I'll meet the others and bring them here."

Elise stood as well, her movements graceful once more. "I'll come with you."

Adam turned, shaking his head. "Stay. Rest. You've pushed yourself enough today. I won't be long."

Elise opened her mouth to protest, but the genuine concern in his crimson eyes gave her pause. She let out a small sigh, then nodded. "Alright. But please, hurry back."

Adam gave a short nod and slipped out the door, the latch clicking softly behind him.

Down in the square, the market was beginning to wind down as evening settled in. Adam leaned against the wall of the inn, arms crossed, watching the flow of people. It wasn't long before he spotted them.

Ignis led the charge, arms laden with cloth-wrapped parcels and a string of what looked like spiced sausages looped over one shoulder. Lilith glided beside her, carrying a more modest basket of herbs and dried goods. Seraphina brought up the rear, her expression tight with focus as she led the two horses, now laden with full saddlebags.

Ignis spotted Adam first and bounded over, her earlier market excitement still glowing on her face. "Adam! We got everything! Spices, bread, cheese, jerky, some weird fruits I've never seen, and these!" She brandished the sausages triumphantly.

Lilith's serene voice cut through Ignis's exuberance as she stopped before Adam. "We have procured adequate supplies for five days of travel. The expenditure was reasonable."

Seraphina's eyes, however, scanned the area immediately, her posture rigid. "Where is Her Highness?" she demanded, her voice sharp with worry.

"She's at the inn," Adam said, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder. "Room's secured. She's resting."

"Resting?" Seraphina's voice rose in disbelief. "You left her alone? Unprotected? What if the curse flares? What if someone recognizes her? She could be in danger right now!"

Adam's expression remained calm, but a flicker of irritation crossed his features. "Calm down. She's not a child. She can look after herself for a few minutes. And the curse is quiet."

"Quiet isn't gone!" Seraphina shot back, shoving the reins of the horses into Lilith's surprised hands. "You don't understand—every moment she's alone is a moment something can go wrong!" Without another word, she turned and strode quickly toward the inn's entrance.

Adam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

A cool, elegant voice brushed against his mind, laced with dark amusement. 'The knight is unbearably rude. She presumes too much upon your patience. Shall I… correct her manners? A little psychic pressure? A brief, terrifying hallucination? It would be quite painless. For me.'

Adam glanced at Lilith, who was watching Seraphina's retreating back with a faint, chilling smile. He replied mentally, his tone firm. 'No. Don't go around torturing people just because they're annoying. That's a bad habit.'

'Pity,' Lilith's psychic voice purred. 'It would have been educational. And enjoyable.'

Ignis, oblivious to the telepathic exchange, was too busy trying to sneak a bite of one of the sausages. "So, which room is ours? And is there a bath? I smell like smoke and horse."

"Come on," Adam said, pushing off the wall and gathering some of their parcels. "Let's get this stuff upstairs before Seraphina decides to barricade Elise in the room."

They shouldered their parcels and followed Adam into The Traveler's Rest. The bell jingled merrily again. Sira looked up from wiping the counter, her face lighting up at the sight of the new arrivals—especially Ignis with her vibrant crimson hair and Lilith with her ethereal, chilling beauty.

"Well now!" Sira exclaimed, hands on her hips. "Look what the road dragged in! More friends of our shy couple, I take it? My, my, you're all a handsome bunch, aren't you? The ladies are especially stunning! Traveling with such beauty must make the miles fly by!"

Ignis beamed, preening slightly. "You hear that? We're stunning!"

Lilith inclined her head with a serene, knowing smile, while Adam just sighed internally.

"Rooms are upstairs," Adam said, cutting off any further commentary. "Second floor."

They trudged up the creaky stairs. Upon reaching the landing, they saw Seraphina already standing outside the door to Room 7, her ear practically pressed to the wood, her body tense. She visibly relaxed when a muffled "I'm perfectly fine, Sera, you may enter," came from within.

Seraphina shot Adam one last reproachful look before opening the door and slipping inside.

Adam shook his head. 'Overprotective doesn't even begin to cover it,' he thought. 'But then again, that's her job. And with siblings like Elise's... maybe she's not entirely wrong.'

He led Ignis and Lilith into Room 9 across the hall. It was simple and clean, with three narrow beds. Ignis immediately dumped her parcels on one and flopped onto the mattress, bouncing experimentally.

"Beds! Real beds! No moss, no stone, just… fluff!" She grinned, rolling over.

"Cease that undignified bouncing," Lilith chided, placing her basket neatly on a small table. "You are not a hatchling."

Ignis stuck out her tongue but stopped.

Adam surveyed the room. Two beds. Three people. The math was simple, and his decision was instantaneous. He had no desire to share a bed, and forcing Ignis or Lilith to the floor felt wrong.

"I'll take the floor," he stated, grabbing one of the thin pillows and a spare blanket from the foot of a bed.

Ignis sat up. "Huh? Why? The beds are big enough! We can share!"

Ignis bounced on her bed again, the wooden frame protesting with a loud creak. "Come on, Adam! My bed is definitely softer! It's the softest one, I can tell! You should sleep here!"

Lilith, sitting primly on the edge of her own bed, ran a hand over the thin mattress. "The material and construction are identical, Ignis. Your perception is skewed by enthusiasm."

"Is not!" Ignis insisted, patting the spot beside her. "See? It's perfect! Lots of room! We shared a nest of leaves and spider silk in the dungeon, this is way better!"

"That was different," Adam said, his voice a low grumble as he tried to get comfortable on the hard floor. "We were in our other forms. It was... practical. This is..."

He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging in the air. 'This is two beautiful women in very human forms inviting me to share a bed, and my thoughts are still tangled from catching a princess a few hours ago. The memory of Elise's weight, her scent, the startled silver of her eyes, flashed unbidden, making the floor feel even less inviting and the offered beds feel like dangerous territory.'

"This is unnecessary. The floor is fine."

The two women, however, were not dissuaded. A competitive glint entered Ignis's golden eyes. "If your bed is the same, Lilith, then why don't you share with him?"

Lilith's crimson gaze slid from Ignis to Adam, a slow, contemplative smile playing on her lips. "An interesting proposition. My bed is indeed equally adequate. Adam, would you prefer—"

"Enough!" Adam sat up, running a hand down his face. "Both of you, quiet. You're making more noise than a cave-in. I said the floor is fine. End of discussion."

He lay back down with finality, closing his eyes. A moment of blessed silence followed. Then, he heard the distinct, grating sound of wood scraping on wood. His eyes snapped open.

Ignis, with a look of intense concentration, had hooked her fingers under the frame of her bed and was dragging it, inch by noisy inch, across the floor toward his spot by the door. With a final heave, she shoved it right up against Lilith's bed, creating one large, combined sleeping surface.

"There!" she declared, hands on her hips, breathing slightly heavily. "Genius! Now it's one big bed! No one has to sleep on the floor! Problem solved!"

Lilith observed the newly arranged furniture, her head tilting. "A crude but effective solution. I approve. Your impulsiveness has borne fruit, for once."

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